Sorting things out.

Today I felt I needed to do something productive. What motivated this? Fear. Big, fat, stomach-tightening fear. Plus I did something last night which makes me question my sanity (sometimes I just shouldn't be allowed an unmonitored internet connection), so I felt the time had arrived to re-balance the situation. So I...

1. Applied for a European ID card. This was a lot harder than it sounds as it involved walking from my Doctor's to the post office multiple times and making many phone calls to a variety of different offices, many of which had no idea what I was talking about. I remain convinced if they don't know how to answer a question they just give the caller the phone number of the extension on the next desk. Frankly, I am surprised I didn't just give up, go home and succomb to the ever present and overwhelming urge to lie around in my pyjamas eating custard creams.
   
   
2. Sent a rather pathetic email to the place I am going to in Germany detailing the fact that I really can't live on my own and would it be possible for me to flat-share? I think that would be much better (for me) as I truly am inept. I keep having all too real mental images of me setting fire to something or having a gas leak or a burst pipe and having literally no idea what to do. I mean, I had the fire-brigade out twice and British gas out once in one week last year when I was left alone for these very reasons! To be fair, they were all mainly false alarms, but I can't imagine what I'd be like in a country where I don't speak the language. Perhaps less 999-happy...? Or whatever the European equivalent of 999 is. [Note: find out.]
   
   
3. Emailed my supervisor to arrange a telephone meeting. Yet another thing to worry about!
   
   
4. Finally declined my offer from the graduate school at my former university. Much to the relief of the admissions officer.
   
   
5. Looked at train times to Edinburgh. It seems I will have make 2 changes. This is unavoidable, no matter what time I wish to travel. It also appears the Edinburgh Fringe Festival will be occurring. This may be good. Or it may be a massive inconvenience.
   

I went for a walk this evening. I am never going for a walk near the old railway track again close to dusk. There was a woman with no teeth who approached me and grabbed my arm and wouldn't let go and proceeded to tell me that her mother had died on the train track. I had two thoughts run immediately through my head. One: she was going to kill me. Two: I was going to miss the ITV Poirot dramatisation. Being completely unable to deal with such situations I opted to ignore her strange comments and her grip on my arm and make polite conversation. She suggested we walk to the canal. In retrospect I definitely should have just ran away screaming, but the potentially fatal urge to be polite at all times caused me to be led towards the canal. Although at her question of "can you swim?" my head cried "NO YOU FUCKING CAN'T! ABORT THIS SITUATION!" So I did. I pointed out that I would in fact be missing David Suchet's excellent performance and I was very sorry but I would have to leave immediately. She sort of lunged towards me to kiss me on the cheek. This was a bit too much for me, I don't find that acceptable in normal situations so I removed her hand from me and shuffled quickly off proffering my best wishes for her journey home. I then broke in to a run, which I managed to maintain until she was out of sight (the hours on the bike have paid off!). I would hate to have had to stop where she could have seen me, as she may have just murdered me, but more importantly she may have thought that I was desperately unfit.

I wish strange people wouldn't approach me. It puts me in quite the social quandary.